for those not on the continental US. Two
years ago, the University of Darmstadt in
Germany traveled across the ocean to take
first place. Joining the Darmstadt team
from abroad this year will be contenders
from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in
Spain and the University of Puerto Rico.

The role of the sun

Each team takes its own unique approach to solar design. Virginia Tech, for
example, uses bifacial building-integrated
photovoltaic panels on its house (dubbed
“Lumenhaus”), meaning that a tilting
mechanism that adjusts the arrays allows
both sides of the panels to produce electricity. The house also has photovoltaic
wafers within the skylight in the bathroom.

The University of Puerto Rico’s home is
called “CASH,” for Caribbean Affordable
Solar House, and its solar and structural
design takes the hot and humid climate
into consideration. The roof has 34 crys-talline-silicon solar panels for electricity,
evacuated-tube solar collectors for hot
water, a radiant ceiling system of piped

Members of Team Boston, which includes students from Boston Architectural College and Tufts University, are
shown tacking insulation onto their solar home. Photo by Erin Baldassari.

hot or cold water, an air conditioner and a
dehumidifier.

Competing with light

Lighting design is one of the 10 contests, and it is judged by a jury of lighting
designers and industry experts who look
for things like quality of electric lighting
and daylighting, ease of operation, flexi-

bility, energy efficiency and building integration. At Iowa State, a class called “File
to Fabrication,” which merges lighting and
computer design, was altered somewhat to
better prepare students to participate in the
Decathlon, according to associate professor Mikesch Muecke, who teaches the
course. Jennie Retke is one student who
took the course and also participated in the